Savage, face of the program, turns his back on Rutgers

NEW YORK

The face of the program has apparently turned the other cheek.

The face of the program has apparently turned the other cheek.

Rutgers announced this weekend star quarterback Tom Savage will transfer after two seasons. A U.S. Army All-American out of Cardinal O’Hara in Philadelphia, Savage became the face of his 2008 recruiting class and was instrumental in attracting a number of top area players to “The Banks.”

He was considered a top-10 quarterback prospect by a number of recruiting services and turned down the likes of Georgia and Penn State. He became the centerpiece of Greg Schiano’s highest-ranked recruiting class and threw for a Big East freshman record 2,211 yards last season.

Redshirt freshman running back Casey Turner out of Florida also transfered.

“We wish Tom and Casey the best in their future endeavors,” said Schiano.

Behind an inexperienced offensive line that conceded an NCAA-worst 61 sacks, Savage lost his starting place to true freshman quarterback Chas Dodd, who guided the Scarlet Knights to a disappointing 4-8 record.